Psychology Simplified

  You might be wondering that in this month of love, February, why am I writing about ‘break-up’?   Let’s go by evidence—in a 2012 research paper by Collins, they analysed different break-up tactics. One major one is— avoidance , in which A reduces being in touch with B, in present and future—besides others, like confrontation or self-blame as ways of moving away. So, when a person avoids another by withdrawing to communicate in any way, it is called ghosting —like disappearing into thin air. Such behaviour isn’t new, and can be seen in romantic relationships, friendships, and even professional relationships. People are all there one moment, and just go missing, the next! Scary? The question arises that who might be a ghost in this case? And why do people leave others in a lurch? Anyone with avoidant attachment style, with its roots in childhood, often ditches others as they shirk from emotional closeness . Second, if one has been ghosted by other, they would in turn d...

  As the Mentally Healthy University Ambassador for ‘ Mind ’, a 75-year-old charity in England, I have learned a lot about mental health problems and solutions, from their interactive workshops .   Have you wondered, when does anxiety get converted into a mental health problem? It may happen when an individual fears or worries disproportionately in any situation, the discomforting feeling is quite strong and persistent, it is distressing and hard to control, and may even escalate to panic attacks. This amounts to a roadblock in the happy journey of life.   It may come as a surprise to you that not only adults, but also kids are prone to anxiety. During childhood, a staggering 67% of children are worried, due to a variety of reasons which makes them emotionally vulnerable to threat, leading to anxiety. When they are disturbed disproportionately, and the intensity of their fears disrupts their routine functioning, the condition gets transformed to anxiety disorders . T...

  Am I good enough? Will I be able to handle this responsibility? Do I actually possess the skill to do justice to the project? Won’t I chicken out from the speech like last time? These are some of the questions that celebrities like Emma Watson, Ryan, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Cara, Padma Lakshmi, Serena Williams jostled with—knowingly or unknowingly. They were hiding behind the mask and didn't feel like themselves at some point. Have you gone through the same feeling ever? Why? How? Let’s delve deeper. When we think negatively about our own selves, we express that negativity in our actions and it gets directed from self to others, if unchecked. Eventually, it leads to strained relations and self-doubt which easily ruins one’s self-esteem. Now, I am not saying self-doubt is bad all the time, but it is healthy until it is limited to introspection for personal improvement. But self-doubt turns harmful when a person is extremely critical of things that they do. When one uses phrases...